Circuit beeakee fob ignition systems



June 5, 1923. 1,457,462

v A. l... RIKER CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed April 8, 1921 Patented .lune 5, 1923.

To all whom t Be it known citizen of the ATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW L. BIKER, OF FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

CIRCUIT B Application filed April 8,4 i521.

that I,

Fairfield, in the county of F of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Circuit of which the fo This invention re cuit-breaker ordinari ignition-systems, as combustion engine o Breaker for ANDREW United States,

L. Rinne, a residing at airfield and State Ignition Systems, llowing is a specification,

lates to the type of cirly employed in battery in firing an internalf an automobile. As is well known, in such devices the circuit comprises an interrup ter consisting of a rotary cam-device having a plurality of circumferentially-arranged for each of the spar high-points or cams (one k-plugs) separated by intervening reduced portions, in combination with a contact-carrying against said the parts being so arraii cam-device by ged that when a member forced spring-pressure,

high-point of the rotary member passes under said spring-pressed member the contact carried thereby is separated from its co-operating fixed Contact, thus breaking cuit, rwhich is sure'when such contact-car ridden over the high point restored by tion. Then the engine is tary with one of its open;

the cirsaid spring-presrying member has to a reduced porstopped, said romember may or may not come to rest said high-points engaging said member to frequently hold the circuit the rotary inemi one of its reduced faces engaging the spring-pressed member,

thereby leavin ing to exhaust present invention is to ensure the engine will ping of g the circuit the battery.

tively break the circuit and until the engine is ag Broadly,

struction and arrangement closed and tend- The obj ect of the that the stopcertainly and posimaintain it open ain started.

the invention comprises a conof parts whereby the ignition-circuit can be operated, b y

makes-and-breaks, only while the engine is in operation,

started up.

More specifically, roviding sufficient aforesaid rotary camgitudinal locating alternating re break for the circumferenti duced portio and the stopping of the engine will automatically maintain it open un the circuit and til the engine is again the invention comprises longitudinal play of the member, with means imparting a lonal cams and the ns normally just REAKER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS.

Serial No. 459,809,

out of the zone of the spring-pressed member aforesaid, and providing the adjacent part of said rotary member (normally in the same zone with said spring-member) with an unreduced or full cylindrical surface of a diameter not less than that of the highpoints of said cams, and providing also a. diagonal or inclined surface leading gently from each reduced portion to said unrediiced cylindrical portion. So long as the engine is not running, he above-named unreduced cylindrical portion engages the springpressed member aforesaid, and thereby maintains the interruption of the circuit; but when the engine is started up, and while it is running, the aforesaid rotary and shifting means (such as spiral-gearing) shifts the rotary member longitudinally a sufficient distance to bring the cam-portions thereof and the intermediate reduced portions into engagement with said spring-member, and thereafter maintain said engagement, whereupon the device will operate, so long as the engine is running, to make-and-break the circuit in the usual well-known manner. But

-when the engine stops running, some other force, such as gravity (which may be assisted by a spring), forces said rotary member back into its first-named position, bringing said full cylindrical portion into Contact with said spring-member, and permanently opening the circuit,

The invention will be best understood .by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

Fig. l is a side view, partly broken away, of a well-known form of commercial circuitbreaker shown as equipped with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, with the cover and adjacent parts and a portion of the head removed; and

Fig. 3 is a side view oi the cam and springpressed member, detached.

In these drawings, l represents a shaft, here indicated as horizontal, rotated from the engine in the usual or any desired maiinei'. This shaft carries a spiral gear 2. 3 is a somewhat elongated spiral gear in mesh ith gear 2 and carriedat the lower end of the cani-carrying` member l, here shown as a vertical shaft. This shaft is mounted, iii the manner usual with these devices, in the ignition-head 5; and, as here employed, it is shown as provided with a limiting-collar 6 which is spaced a short distance away' from the end of the tube or sleeve '7 which usually depends from said head 5. Rotation of said driving-shaft 1 (in the direction indicated by the arrow) tends not only to rotate said cam-carrying shaft l (in the direction indicated by its arrow), but likewise imparts a longitudinal action to said shaft i, moving the shaft until said collar (5 abuts against` said sleeve 7. On the upper face of ignitionhead 5 is the usual stationary contact S, and also the usual movable contact 9 mounted intermediately of the spring 10, with the end of the spring projecting beyond said terminal for engagement with the rotary cams upon said shaft 4.

Near the upper portion of said shaft a is provided the usual plurality of circumferenftially-arranged reduced portions or faces 11 (here shown as siX in number), separated by higli-points oi cams 12, above which is a full unreduced cylindrical surface 13, of a diameter not less than (and preferably the same as) the diameter of said high-points 12. Fig. 1 represents the relative positions of the parts while the engine is not running, the end of spring .l0 being engaged by the unreduced or full cylindrical portion 13, and the circuit being thereby maintained open. But when the engine starts running, the lifting-action of the spiral-gearing 2-3 lifts said shaft 4 (to the extent permitted by collar 6) and thereby raises the cams and reduced portions 11 into the zone of the spring 10, whereupon the usual makes-and-breals occur. When thu-` rengine is again stopped, the weight of the shaft 4 and its parts which may be aided by a stiff commutator-spring 14) shifts said shaft back into the position of rest indicated in F ig. 1, the absence of any abrupt shoulder (where the reduced faces 11 run into theI unreduced or full cylinder 13) preventing any tendency of said spring 10 from holding the shaft in its elevated position.

In the particular illustration shown, the invention can be readily applied to structures now in use by merely reducing the length of the depending sleeve (T), and by taking a` full cylindrical member (4) and grinding off the six flat faces 11 with gently-inclined shoulders at their upper ends, and adding ythe limiting collar 6 if desired. But it is obvious that there may be more (or less) than six faces, which need not be flat, and the new device could be constructed in some other manner.

The invention has thus been described as applied to one particular type of circuit, breaker, and with considerable detail, but only for the sake of clearness. The invention is not limited to the precise structure shown, nor to the precise arrangement shown; but may be embodied in various forms, and arranged in a. different manner.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed is:

1. A circuit-breaker for an ignition-system, comprising a vertical shaft having a plurality of ciicumferentially-disposed reduced faces separated by cam-portions and mounted to have ifertical play, spiral-gearing for imparting thereto a lift as well as rotation, said shaft presenting an unreduced or full cylindrical surface just above said reduced surfaces, and a spring' carrying 'the movable contact-member and engaged by said uin'educed cylindrical portion while resting in its lowered position but engaged by said cam portions while rotating in the lifted position.

2. In a circuit-breaker for an ignitionsystem, a vertical shaft having longitudinal play, means operated by the engine for lifting as well as rotating` said shaft, a reduced cam-surface upon the upper portion of said shaft and a full unreduced cylindrical surface higher up on the saine, and two contact-members normally held in contact by a spring, said full cylindrical portion engaging said spring and maintaining the circuit broken while the shaft rests in its lower position, and said cam-surface adapted to engage said spring when said shaft is rotated in its lifted position.

In a circuit-breaker for an ignitionsystem, a rotary member having circumferentially-arranged reduced portions separated by higher cam-portions and having adjacent said reduced portions and camportioiis and unreduced cylindrical surface of the full diameter of said higher camportions, and a spring carrying the movable member of the circuit to be broken,

said spring engaging said cam-portions or said cylindrical surface according to whether said member is rotating in one position or is at rest in its other position.

l-. In a circuit-breaker for an ignitionsystein, a rotary member mounted to have longitudinal play, circumferentially-arranged reduced portions thereon separated by higher cam-portions, an unreduced full cylindrical surface adjacent said cam-surfaces and of the full diameter of said higheil cam-portions, and means actuated solel by the running of the engine for shifting said member longitudinally.

5. In a circuit-breaker for an ignitionsystem7 a rotary member mounted to have longitudinal play, circumferentially-disposed reduced portions thereon separated by higher cam-portions, an unreduced full cylindrical surface adjacent said portions, a yielding member arranged to ride in engagement with said cam-portions and said unreduced cylindrical surface alternatively,

and a gentle inclination leading outwardly .from each reduced portion to said unreduced portion, whereby the longitudinal movement of said rotary member shifts the 5 engagement of said yielding member.

6. 'n a circuit-breaker for an ignitionsystem, the combination with the usual plurality of rotary cams and alternate reduced portions for co-operating with the movable member of the circuit to be broken, of means actuated by the running of the engine to move said cams to permit the usual make-and-break of Said circuit but maintaining the circuit broken so long as the engine remainsAat rest.

NDREW L. BIKER. 

